The Last Light of Twilight
by Terra Twilight
Summary: Link and Midna must find a way to get back together, but could there be a hitch in their plans when they finally meet?
1. Chapter 1

Link could only stare at the dark rock looming before him. He fell to his knees in disbelief at what had just occurred. _"Link…I…See you later,"_ the words echoed in his head. Zelda looked worriedly at the young hero and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "We should go," she told him. Link reluctantly stood up and together they journeyed back to the kingdom of Hyrule.

The sun mottled the forest of Ordon and crept through Link's window. He was already awake and ready to start the day when he heard Ilia calling from outside. "Hey, sleepyhead, it's time to get going!" her voice carried up to him. Link cringed at her evermore annoying voice. He called out to her to let her know he would be down in a moment.

It had only been a few months since the land of Hyrule had been covered in twilight, but it had seemed like yesterday that he had seen his only true friend, and love. Link begrudgingly grabbed his knapsack and then decided it best to grab his sword and shield, just in case. He slowly climbed down the ladder and hopped down in front of Ilia. A stupid smile was plastered on her face and he tried not to show how unpleasant she was to him. At one point he had liked, and maybe even loved Ilia, mostly because she was the only girl his age in the village, but now things were different. Now she just seemed unbearably attached to him and he disliked how sheltered and childish she was.

"Come on, silly, it's time to go get Epona ready for the trip!" she said excitedly. _Trip?_ Link thought for a moment and then remembered that there was a ceremony in Castle Town in his honor; it would take them a few days to get there and he had to take a caravan of the village along as well. He used to love the idea of traveling with his friends, but his shattered heart could not be mended with a warm smile or friendly get together. No, the one thing he wanted most was gone, forever.

Epona's neighing brought Link back out of his thoughts and he began to help Ilia prepare the mare for the journey.

Midna lay on a dark knoll of moss looking up into the twilight. As much as she usually loved the homely feeling she got from the constant darkness, today she could not pull her thoughts out of the light of the past. Link's face flickered through her mind and her heart knotted up as she remembered how she never confessed her love for him. Her own words even haunted her now and she regretted her actions more every day that passed. Midna turned onto her side and curled up into a ball, softly crying to herself.

"Princess!" a voice called in the distance. Midna righted herself up and looked for the owner of the voice. One of the Twili was looking for her and as they came closer she recognized her adviser, Chijin. He was flustered and could hardly see where the Princess was, she blended in with the scenery so well. Midna didn't dare alert him of her presence; she would rather be left alone to rot in her self-loathing and self-pity than have to deal with her adviser and the council.

Unfortunately Chijin was not one to give up on a search and eventually discovered her after he tripped over her. The poor fool was half blind so she really couldn't blame him for his clumsiness, but she was rather haughty with him for being so oblivious. "Chijin, seriously, how could you not see me laying here?" she scolded him.

"I am deeply sorry, Your Highness, but it would have been better if you had alerted me of your presence when you heard me coming," he retorted. She bit back a remark but reminded herself to give him a lesson later on how she expected him to speak with her. Chijin fixed his robes and continued with his message, "The councilmen request your presence in the castle immediately. Some royalty from another neighboring kingdom have traveled here to discuss urgent matters with you." Midna stood up as though she'd been shocked and stared in disbelief at her adviser. Visits from neighboring kingdoms were rare and could only mean two things: someone had taken a fancy to her and would threaten her home if she did not submit to their wishes or they wanted a piece of land and would threaten war if she did not allow them the land. Midna sincerely hoped it was the latter.


	2. Chapter 2

Castle Town was abuzz with many different beings that bustled through the town speaking in all sorts of different tongues. Minstrels were gathered around the fountain in the middle of the square dressed in what looked exactly like Link's own garb, however the green cloth was sequined in a tacky way that made him gag. Link skirted around the crowd in the shadows and made his way to where Princess Zelda was waiting for him near the castle's entrance. When he approached Zelda smiled warmly at him and he bowed.

"Rise, Link, for you should not be bowing but all of Hyrule should be bowing to you," she said, addressing the crowd with a simple wave of her hand. The town grew quiet as they waited for her to keep speaking. "Link, you have done us great honor with your bravery for saving all of Hyrule by defeating Zant and Ganondorf. For that, we are eternally grateful," she continued and then she bowed before Link. Everyone else followed her gesture and soon they were all bowing before him.

Link felt the heat rising in his face and he turned away; part of him wanted to enjoy the praise, but he hadn't been the only one fighting for the freedom of Hyrule or the Twilight. As Zelda righted herself she noticed the pained look on his face and dismissed the crowd by commencing the ceremony. After the attention was removed from herself and Link she quickly led him away to the castle.

Though the summer air outside was warm and welcoming the castle was filled with a chill the seeped down to the bones. Link shivered in the sudden change in temperature and slowly followed the Princess to a private study room. The guards at the door lifted their swords and allowed their passing through. "Do not let anyone disturb us," Zelda reminded them, though she knew they already would have turned anyone else away, and she closed the great oak doors behind them.

"Link," she said. He turned around and met her captivating brown eyes. Zelda was beautiful, of course, but every time Link looked at her he was reminded of the time Zelda had fused her life force with Midna to bring her back from the brink of death and it only made him all the more miserable. "Link, I know the pain you have been feeling these past few months. Please let us discuss the matter so you can at least relieve yourself of some of the pain."

"It's no use," Link said. "Talking about it won't bring her back. She's gone." He turned away from her and she looked at him with a pained look. A tear escaped from Link and he brought his arm up to hide it from her; he hated people seeing him cry.

"There might be a way," Zelda said. Link spun around and stared at her, hope gleaming in his eyes. "For now it is getting late and you need to rest. You can stay here for the night and I will tell your village to go on without you." She smiled softly at him and added, "Do not worry; I will have someone with great experience care for Epona." Link sighed in relief and let one of the servants lead him through the castle to an empty guest room. Once he was finally alone, he sprawled out on the bed and smiled. _I will see her again. Midna, I will find you no matter what._

Midna curled her fists in anger and glared at the man before her. He was dashing for a Twili and his father was the King of a neighboring kingdom, but Midna refused to accept his offer. "Milady," he said, "I am here to offer you a great opportunity. You wouldn't believe the Twili that would give anything to marry me, yet you so greatly refuse."

"Prince Tansei, please, I am not looking for a suitor any time soon," she said through gritted teeth, trying to be as polite as she could bear. His aloof attitude over such a great matter irritated her to no end.

"I know this, but soon you will have to marry or you will lose your right as ruler. After all, you are only a princess," Tansei told her. His expression changed to a serious one and he straightened himself up before saying, "Princess, if you refuse my offer again then we will have no choice but to declare war. The peace treaty between our kingdoms is growing weaker as the years go on and this is the only way we are willing to keep the peace."

Midna looked at him in horror and thought about all of her beloved kingdom being laid to waste with the advanced weaponry Prince Tansei's people had developed. She hung her head in defeat and nodded to the Prince. "We will…go on with a ceremony," she choked. Tansei clapped his hands together and laughed.

"So it will be!" he said. "Tell everyone, this will be a wedding to remember."

Midna turned away and Chijin led her back to her chambers. The moment her chamber doors closed behind her, she burst into tears and sobbed into the edge of her bed, grasping at the covers and covering her face in them. "Princess," Chijin said, "getting married isn't so bad. It's not the end of the world."

"You don't understand," she told him. Chijin bowed out of the room and then Midna was all alone. After a while her sobbing ceased into short sniffles and she wrapped herself in the bed covers. _Link, I am so sorry. I should have told you when I had the chance._

The twilight was darker at night and many of the Twili were asleep. A few roamed the streets and they barely even noticed the Princess as she slipped through the shadows. Midna had escaped through her window by using the blackened vines that climbed up to it. She made her way through the town until she came to the outskirts of the city; dark trees reached up towards the twilight and she shivered at the cool breeze that whistled through their branches.

Midna pulled her cloak closer around her and made her way through the forest trees. _The last pool of light in this world, that's where I'll find what I am looking for._


	3. Chapter 3

Voices drifted up to Link and he slowly awoke to find himself in a mossy green grotto. As he looked out above him he could see the moss climbing upwards until it disappeared into dark slate rock. The bed of moss he was laying on sprawled out over the edge and he peered over to find the source of light for the area. A small pool of water glowed several feet below where he was and he could vaguely make out a few figures that gathered around its edges.

_"Where is the Princess of Twilight? Is she not in her castle?"_ one of them said, though her lips never moved and it seemed as though her voice echoed through the entire grotto. _Princess of Twilight_? he thought. It had to be Midna!

_"She is currently on her way to a sacred pool of light that was left in her world," _answered the second being.

_"What is her purpose for this journey?" _questioned the third.

The second being stepped closer to the pool and brought out a golden staff from her sapphire robes. She gently tapped the pool of light with the end of the scepter and suddenly an image of Midna appeared. Midna looked as pained as Link felt and his heart sank when he saw her in a room with a Twili Prince. _"This Prince of Twili has asked for her hand in marriage and has threatened the existence of her people if she does not go through with the ceremony," _the second being said. Link gasped in horror and pulled himself away from the edge before they could look up and see him.

_"He is here,"_ one of them said. Link's heart beat rapidly against his breast and he feared they may hear it. Suddenly one of the figures appeared above him; her robes were a brilliant golden color and shone in the light of the pool. A smile crept across her face and greeted him warmly.

Link froze and felt as though his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth. He recognized the being as a Goddess of Hyrule, one who had given him the hero's power of the Triforce. Link sat up and knelt before the Goddess Farore. "Forgive me," he choked out, "I only have awakened here and I do not know how I came to be here."

Farore smiled at him again. _"We've been expecting you, Hero"_ she said, holding out a hand to him. Link reached out and grasped her hand; together they floated down to the glowing pool where the other two were still watching Midna.

_"You are here with a heavy heart, Hero," _said the one that Link recognized Nayru. Din was across the way wearing a brilliant ruby robe and the three stared at him. Link hung his head to avoid their gaze.

_"She is the one you seek, is she not?"_ Din asked, motioning towards the pool where Midna's face stared up at him. Link nodded solemnly and felt Farore's hand on his shoulder.

"I love her," Link began. "I love her with all my being, with all my soul, but she is to marry this Prince. If I interfere it would only mean the destruction of her people; I could never live with myself if I caused that to happen."

Farore looked at her sisters, nodded, and together they raised three golden scepters into the air and gently brought them back to the pool. The blue light changed to a bright gold that nearly blinded Link and then suddenly changed to what he recognized as the light of Twilight. Through that light he could barely make out a forest of dark trees, and then he saw someone coming into focus through the trees. Link peered closer and suddenly the pool of light engulfed him and he was sent swirling towards the Twilight. _Though your love could lead to ultimate destruction you are given this chance to make it work for the better._


	4. Chapter 4

Midna was quickly approaching the clearing where she expected the pool of light to be, but she was surprised that she could not see any of the light. Usually its glow would stretch out farther and she would have seen it sooner. Fear crept along her spine as she realized that her last hope at seeing Link one last time could be gone. As she came up to the clearing she found the pool to be dried up.

"No," she whispered. Midna ran to where the center of the pool should have been and collapsed on the ground shouting at it, "Why? Why is it gone? Why didn't I tell him when I had the chance?" She pounded her fists into the dirt and sobbed. Suddenly, a soft light began to materialize beneath her. Midna stood and backed away as the light grew brighter and brighter, filling the clearing with brilliant twilit light. As quickly as the light had come it was gone, but something, or rather someone, was left in the clearing.

Midna slowly approached the being; his hair was a sandy blonde and his garb was of a green tunic and… "Link?" she said in disbelief. She rushed towards him and held him in her arms. She turned his face towards her and he slowly opened his eyes, his fierce, wolf-like, blue eyes. "Oh, Link!" Midna cried and she kissed him passionately.

After a moment she dropped him from the kiss, stood up, and turned away from him. She was blushing and she didn't want him to see. "Wh – why'd you stop?" Link asked her. He stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder to turn her around.

"I – I can't," she said. A tear escaped her and she quickly went to wipe it but Link caught her arm before she could.

"Why not?"

"Because…because I have to get married," Midna told him. "If I don't marry Prince Tansei he will murder my people." She looked at him with sad eyes.

"Is that all? They can't see you out here."

Midna laughed dryly, "You never know with them; they have eyes everywhere." A warm feeling was building inside of her as Link stood there with her and a little bit of her old self crept out. "Besides," she said, teasing him with a wink. "You never told me if I was pretty or not."

Link smiled at her. "Of course I think you are; you're beautiful, Midna," he told her. He caressed her face and placed a loving kiss upon her lips. "I love you," he said softly.

"What is this?" a voice called behind them. Midna turned to find Chijin and Prince Tansei stepping out of the forest. "You tell me to go on with a ceremony that will bring our kingdoms and us together and then you go and run off for a scamp like him?" Prince Tansei yelled. He stomped forth and grabbed Midna by her hair.

"No!" Link said as he lunged forth to grab Tansei but only managed to tear off part of his cape. Tansei whipped around and held his sword against Midna's throat.

"Boy, if you dare to follow us and ruin this wedding so be it I will lay waste to both of you and the people of her kingdom," Tansei threatened. He sheathed his sword before turning around and leading Midna and Chijin back to the castle. Midna glanced back at Link with sorrow in her eyes. Before they disappeared into the forest, Link saw Midna drop a strange looking shard of crystal on the ground. Once he was sure they were gone he quickly scooped up the crystal to find it was in fact the very crystal that could turn him into his wolf form. "Don't worry, Midna, I will rescue you," he said as he gripped the crystal firmly in his hand.


	5. Chapter 5

Link found it difficult to walk in his wolf form since it had been so long. He strode as fast as he dared through the dark, tangled roots of the forest trees. The Twilight seemed to be getting darker as time went on, but he feared that if he didn't make it by the morning, he may be too late to rescue Midna.

Their scent was beginning to grow weaker as the time wore on, but Link scuffled after it faster as he regained his ability to walk. Birds squawked as they fled from his beastly form yet he paid little mind to them. After what seemed like hours of walking he could finally see the looming towers of the castle. Even though it was still dark outside, Link could make out several Twili that were hustling about carrying what looked like preparations for the wedding.

_It must be getting closer to morning then_, he thought. _The wedding must be in the morning if they're hurrying around this quickly._ Link picked up his pace and stealthily slipped through the shadows. Some of the Twili were rushing in and out of the castle doors and once Link was close enough he slipped in after one of them.

Midna's scent lingered close by and Link took to following nearby the scent path, but just out of site so as not to alarm anyone. The trail took him up a winding staircase and through some very long hallways. After what seemed like him going in circles he finally heard her voice through a door. Chijin walked out of the room, muttering under his breath, and took no notice of Link. Once Chijin was gone, Link approached carefully and gently pawed on the door.

Midna sighed at the dress Chijin had just finished helping her into. It was a satiny gray dress that dipped low at her back and revealed much of her chest. She kept trying to adjust the front so that it was not as noticeable but had little success in doing so. The gems that were embroidered at the hems itched her skin every time they passed over her skin. Chijin came in with a tiara that had a long, flowing veil attached to it.

"Now, come on, Princess," he said when she at first refused to wear it. "You know that you have to go through with this wedding. Don't be so worried about that fool you were with; he's nothing compared to the dashing Prince Tansei."

Midna's face glowed bright red as she screamed, "He is NOT a fool and he's a much better lover and all around better person than that STUPID PANSY of a PRINCE!" Chijin was taken aback at her outrage and bowed before laying the tiara beside her and taking his leave. Chijin was no fool, he knew she loved the one they saw in the clearing, but he was trying to keep his Highness' thoughts on the people and their well-being.

Midna put her face in her hands and sobbed. _Where is that stupid mutt? _she thought to herself. _He should've been here by now._ A soft whining caught her attention and she turned around to find Link lying at her feet. "Link!" she exclaimed. He licked her face and she embraced him with tears in her eyes. "You came back for me!"

Midna removed the crystal from Link and he returned to his human form. "Midna," Link sighed as he embraced her in a loving, passionate kiss. "We have to get out of here," he told her.

"But if I leave, my people will be in danger," she told him sadly.

"What if I challenge him to a battle? Your kingdom's and your freedom if I win," he said.

"And if you lose?" she choked.

"I won't," he said, smiling.

A knock on the door made them both jump. "Princess," Chijin's voice sounded behind the door, "Prince Tansei is ready for the ceremony to begin. May I come in?"

"Yes, come in," Midna told him. Link began to try finding a place to hide, but Midna caught his hand and held him in place. Chijin entered the chambers and froze when he saw Link standing there.

"Why is he here?" he said in a threatening tone.

Midna straightened her shoulders and said, "Tell Prince Tansei that we have officially challenged him to a duel. The terms will be agreed upon once we see him." Chijin tried to think of something to say but when he couldn't he nodded, sighed, and left the room.


	6. Chapter 6

***Please keep reviewing and spreading the word…I am writing more stories but this is helping me a lot! ***

Link's heart was just about beating out of his chest. Prince Tansei had agreed to the duel and had promised to agree to their terms only if his were met if he won. If he won, the kingdom would be his, Midna would marry him, and Midna would have to slay Link. Midna had screamed at him, furious with what the last term had been, but Link interrupted her and had reassured her. He looked up in the stands of the arena where Midna was sitting. She wrung her hands over and over again and looked horrified.

Link tried to give her a warm smile, but it seemed to have no affect on her. "Don't worry," he said under his breath. "I will win and we will be together." He gripped his sword and shield closer as the trumpets sounded the arrival of the Prince to the arena grounds. Prince Tansei rode in on a beast that looked like a large eel with legs. Its tongue slithered in and out like a snake and glared with pupil – less eyes at Link.

Prince Tansei waved as the crowd cheered for him and blew a kiss at Midna, though she moved out of his target area to avoid the air kiss. "My fellow Twili, today you shall witness the destruction of a measly being of light," he announced, ignoring Midna's actions. "Your poor Princess has dwelled for too long in that land of light and has fallen into this fool's trap." Some of the crowd began booing at Link and one of the Twili even threw a strange Twilight fruit at the back of his head. "But not to worry, my dearest subjects," Prince Tansei said, cutting through their booing. "I shall rid the universe of this fool's existence so he may never again cause unbalance in such a perfect world."

With that the Prince unsheathed an ungodly sword that just emanated a dark shadowy aura. In response, Link's sword lit up and the Prince lunged at him. Link blocked a blow to the neck with his sword and knocked Tansei off balance with a quick thrust of his shield. The Prince grunted at the force but quickly regained his footing to attempt another strike at Link's head.

The swords kept clashing and numerous times Link had to roll away to miss Prince Tansei's swift blade. For once, Link felt he had met his match and that he could possibly lose. He wanted so desperately to look up once more at Midna but feared if he did the distraction would cost him the duel. Link kept his focus on his opponent and dodged this way and that to narrowly miss another blow.

Tansei swung his sword in an upward motion and Link's shield went flying across the arena. Link rolled away and blocked yet another swift blow with his sword. The air filled with the sound of metal against metal and the two froze; from the hilt of their swords they could feel an electric pulse coursing through their veins. The auras of the light and shadow intertwined and the force of their power knocked the men away.

When they got up, both auras had disappeared from their swords. The power that had been used within the swords was gone. Tansei, despite the loss of the power, charged full speed at Link. All at once the world seemed to spin around Link and he could feel the sticky wetness of blood against his cheek. He had been too distracted by what had happened with the swords that he missed Tansei's battle cry. As he looked down, he could see the prince's blade piercing through his abdomen. What surprised him, though, was the fact his sword by some miracle was lodged in Tansei's midsection. The two stared at each other for a moment and then the world went black.

***Author's note: I know I could have written this a little better, but for now this will do. I'll edit it later when the story is finished. ***


	7. Chapter 7

_Link…ome bac…lease…I love yo…_ A voice drifted around Link and he opened his eyes to find himself in a dark, dense fog. The words echoed in the space around him. He tried following the sound, but he could not move his feet. As he looked down he saw he was standing in a black sludge that was slowly engulfing his being. Link struggled against the sludge, trying as best he could to rip away from it but with no avail.

The sludge sucked him in bit by bit until Link was completely submerged in blackness again. As he sat in the blackness, Link could feel a sudden pain that spread like fire in his abdomen. He tried to cry out in pain but ended up only gulping in a mouthful of sludge. The voice echoed again around him but now it was even more muffled. _No_, he thought. _I can't go this way_. Link tried to swim against what he believed was the direction the sludge was pulling him.

The sludge was thick and pulled at his skin and muscles, threatening to tear him apart. Pain swelled in his abdomen again and spread across his body as he continued his struggle. A small light finally broke through the sludge. Link took advantage of this break in the sludge to pull him up and into the light…

.

.

Midna's face was stained with tears and she sobbed over Link's motionless body. She had watched in horror as the Prince's sword pierced her lover. When the two had fallen apart from each other she had raced down to them and pushed the prince even farther away. Midna looked over at the bloody sword she'd pulled from Link and was now carefully trying to use whatever healing magic she could to bring him back.

She looked back at his face and she choked on another sob. _How could I have let this happen? I should never have let him fight Tansei_, she scolded herself. "Link, come back to me, please," she begged him. "Please, I love you."

Finally Midna stopped the healing process; Link had been still for too long. She threw herself down and sobbed into his bloody tunic, praying to the Goddesses of Light that by some miracle they should take pity on him and bring him back. "You can't take him!" she screamed. "It's not his time to go!" Her face was stained with tears and blood, but she kept a hold of Link's green tunic and looked upon his face.

"Unh…" Midna sat up in disbelief. Link groaned again and this time his arms twitched. She quickly sat him up and held him in her lap.

"Link?" she whispered tearfully.

Link's eyes fluttered open and it took him a minute to focus on her. "Am I…dead?" he wheezed. Midna shook her head and smiled.

"You were so close," she told him. "I thought I'd lost you."


	8. Chapter 8

Midna kissed Link forcefully which caused him to cry out in pain. "Ack! Still wounded here," he cringed. Her healing powers had only done so much, and Link was still wounded. Midna pulled away, her eyes overflowing with tears and a smile spread from her lips.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so happy to have you back," she whispered.

Link smiled, "I'm glad to be back." A couple of nurses from the castle's infirmary came to help him to his feet. Midna walked with them as they led him back towards the castle.

As the nurses tended to his wound, Midna returned to her quarters to consider her next step. There was still the matter of her kingdom and the death of Prince Tansei. She knew his death meant war was imminent, and she could not turn her back on her people. Yet she could not bear the thought of having to send Link back to the world of Light for his safety as well as his recovery. The thought of losing him again tore at her heart.

"Milady?" Chijin's raspy voice sounded behind her. He cleared his throat and spoke better as he met her threatening glare, "Milady, Prince Tansei's people are returning with his body to their kingdom. What are we to do if they declare war? We hardly even have the forces to deter such an attack."

Midna sighed and turned away from him to hide the fear in her eyes. "We will do what we must," she told him, her voice cracking. "Order an evacuation for the kingdom; soldiers are to keep post in the castle."

"And what of the boy? Surely you will not have him stay here in the condition he is in. He would most certainly be killed."

Midna smirked, "He's a strong one. As for him staying here that is for me to consider; I will tell you of my decision later." She dismissed Chijin with a flick of her wrist. As the doors to her chambers clicked shut Midna gazed out of her window to the dark twilight above. "Goddesses, what must I do?"


	9. Chapter 9

Midna snuck out of the castle when the Twilight was darkest. The castle was quiet and she was glad that no one had seen her escape. She stole away to the forest again, towards the clearing Link had first appeared in the haze of light. The pool that used to be there was the closest thing the Twili had as a connection to the Goddesses; Midna felt it would be the best place to meditate quietly on her problems.

Once she came upon the clearing, she knelt in the soft, mossy ground. "Farore, Nayru, and Din, Sister Goddesses and creators of our lands, please lend me your strength," she began praying with hushed tones. She closed her eyes folded her hands in her lap, concentrating on being calm and still. Images of Link and the battle that had ensued after his arrival to the world of Twilight flashed in her mind. She was happy he had lived through the ordeal, but now she was afraid for their lives and the mortality of her people.

_"Young Queen, do not fret over this matter anymore,"_ a voice echoed around her. Midna opened her eyes, but there was no one there. _"Your people will be safe, and you will continue on your path as the Queen of the Twilight."_ Midna's heart sank.

"So, I am not meant to be with Link, then?" she said sadly.

_ "His love for you led him to your world, and led him to defeat the one who threatened your people. Your paths have intertwined before and have intertwined again, and your destinies will always and forever be intertwined," _another voice told her. _"Look again upon this matter in another light. The Hero has fulfilled his duties in the world of Light; his duty now is to himself and the ones he loves."_

Midna's heart fluttered at the Goddess' notion. Could it be? She bowed before the presence of the Goddesses. "Thank you for your wisdom," she said. She then got up and ran back to the castle, back to her home, her love.

**A/N: Short chapter is short, but oh well. Thank you for the past reviews! Hope you all are enjoying this story; there is still much to come!**


	10. Chapter 10

Link awoke alone in the darkness of the infirmary. The nurses were long gone and the twilight through the window was at its darkest. His wounds were patched, stitched, and bandaged, including the place where Tansei's sword had pierced him. Link's hand hovered over the bandage there, vividly remembering the coolness of the blade as it was plunged into his gut. With a sigh he turned in his bed towards the door.

Midna had yet to come see him, though he was sure she was probably dealing with all the problems his arrival in the kingdom had caused. Surely he would be dismissed now that her people were under the threat of war. He sat up in the bed and ran his fingers through his sandy blonde hair as his thoughts grew ever darker. It was his fault. He had been selfish, and now Midna and her people would pay the price for his selfishness. Yet, he had not known of the threat of Tansei before his arrival. He was powered by his love and was sent here by the Goddesses themselves. Surely there was a way to make it okay again.

Link's thoughts were interrupted, though, when the infirmary door swung open. He blushed as Midna swiftly made her way to his bedside and embraced him. "Oh, Link! I'm so sorry I haven't been in to see you," she cried. The sound of her tears tore at his heart and he held her close.

"Why are you sorry for that?" he said quietly. "I should be sorry. I've been nothing but trouble since I got here."

Midna sat back from him and he could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke, "That's not true. You saved me from a most horrible decision." She laughed and caressed his cheek as she continued. "Because you won the battle, you are able to stay here. Sure, Tansei's kingdom could declare war, but with you by my side it doesn't seem so bad. We've fought monsters and corrupt kings ten times worse than the foot soldiers they would be sending out."

"But what about your people?" he asked her. "Surely they wouldn't take kindly to the notion of a being of Light staying in the castle with their Princess?"

Midna raised an eyebrow at him and her impish smile he adored so much appeared on her face. "And what of it? I am their Princess, their ruler, and I may choose whomever I would like to give my affections."

Link couldn't help but smile at her. He leaned forward and kissed her. This kiss was more loving, more passionate than the last one they shared. Midna moved closer to him to deepen the kiss. Then suddenly Link cried out in pain, and she pulled back from him.

"What's wrong?" she cried.

"I'm okay," he cringed. "It was just a weak spot, that's all." He waved a hand at her as he dismissed the pain he felt from her pressing against his wound. Fresh blood began to soak through the bandages and Midna had to apply fresh ones to it. As she did, she marveled in the sight of his sculpted abs; the wound would probably scar nicely she thought. She blushed at the idea and covered the wound again.

When it was time for her to leave she said, "I will tell Chijin about you staying here. Then tomorrow I will announce you as my new suitor." She smiled and let the door close behind her gently.


End file.
